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"THE FINE PRINT"

The musings of Michael Schrader

                          QUESTIONS, I HAVE QUESTIONS
(Written in 1994; previously unpublished. Posted in toto with Preface and Epilogue 14 July 2001)

PREFACE -- This is the second of the several columns that the Farmington Press-Leader would not publish. The story remains the same--anytime I questioned something that the paper supported, I would not be published. Go figure. In this column, I raised some questions about the Presiding Commissioner of St. Francois County, whom the paper supported for re-election. He was a member of a school board simultaneous with being the Presiding Commissioner, and the brother of one of the local mayors. I felt that as someone who ran for the County Commission (Associate Commissioner) on the Democratic Ticket (I lost in the primary) I had the obligation to question other candidates, and especially a Democrat, about what I saw as some perceived irregularities. Sour grapes? Not at all. I was just doing what I believed to be in the best interest of both the candidates and voters alike--bringing out some issues so that they can be addressed and so the voters can make decisions based on facts, not hearsay.

        With the November elections fast approaching, it is time for our local candidates to start talking about the issues, as the electorate should not be expected to make decisions based upon the number of yard signs each candidate has erected.
       For example, who is Danny Bates? What are his qualifications to be an Associate Commissioner? What are his ideas? How will he make the county a better place?
       Mr. Bates, you have one month to answer these questions. Although you are a Democrat, and this is predominately a Democratic county, party affiliation alone will not guarantee victory. After all, your opponent, Commissioner Var Vera, is the incumbent. The voters of the first district know what to expect from Mr. Var Vera; they do not know what to expect from you.
       The same can be said for Ivan Eaves, the Republican candidate for Presiding Commissioner. We know that you own Tucker Vault Company in Farmington; besides that, who are you? What is your vision for the future?
       Mr. Eaves' challenge is formidable, as he is trying to win against an incumbent Democrat, Mark Hedrick. Ironically, Mr. Hedrick's incumbency is Mr. Hedrick's greatest liability.
       After all, Mr. Hedrick was given incumbency, he did not have to earn it. In conversations with several people on the street (actually, on the parking lot), the consensus is that the appointment of Hedrick was an underhanded attempt by the Democrats to ensure Mr. Hedrick's election in November by giving him the built-in advantages (including free and extensive media coverage) of incumbency. (Other adjectives used to describe the "sweetheart deal" include slimy, sleazy, rotten, and several other adjectives not suitable for print.)
        There may be some truth to this argument. After all, Mr. Hedrick, the anointed one of the local Democrats, defeated an unknown and unsupported candidate by only 250 or so votes. This is not what one could call a strong mandate by fellow Democrats. If those Democrats that voted against Mr. Hedrick in the primary vote against him in the general election, the Republican Mr. Eaves will be the next presiding commissioner. Why not give Mr. Hedrick the advantages of built-in incumbency; he's vulnerable, and needs all the help he can get to win.
        Before the general election, Mr. Hedrick will have to convince the electorate that he is more than just a political hack. It will not be easy, as there are many unanswered questions about Mr. Hedrick. Was the city administrator's position created just for Mr. Hedrick? (After all, the position was eliminated after Mr. Hedrick was appointed commissioner.)   Couldn't Mr. Hedrick's familial relationship with the mayor of Bismarck while he was city administrator be considered nepotism? Isn't nepotism illegal?
         If Mr. Hedrick was such an effective administrator, why is Bismarck such an economic basket case? (There are so many boarded windows on Main Street, it looks like a coastal town bracing for the onslaught of a hurricane.)
       Finally, how can Mr. Hedrick serve two different governmental bodies at the same time. (The county and the Bismarck School Board.) If the county and School Board were to disagree on an issue, whose side would he support? Either way, he would be doing a grave disservice to an elected body he is supposed to serve.

EPILOGUE -- Mr. Bates lost in the general election. Mr. Hedrick won re-election. Whether or not this column would have changed the outcome, I cannot say. The questions were never answered, because they were never asked, and the electorate was forced to make decisions based on a very limited amount of information.